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Staphylococcus aureus positive skin infections and international travel

Hautinfektionen durch Staphylococcus aureus in der Reisemedizin

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Summary

Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of purulent skin infections in travellers returning from the tropics and subtropics. This review gives an account of the current knowledge on travel-related, S. aureus positive skin infections with a focus on recent findings on both bacterial pathogenicity and mechanisms of innate defence. In particular, the potential role of community-acquired methicillin-resistance, Panton-Valentine leukocidin as well as antimicrobial peptides in the evolution of this type of infection are discussed. Moreover, conflicting findings for a possible association of travel and migration with the global emergence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections are summarised. This review highlights areas of uncertainty that require further investigation.

Zusammenfassung

Staphylococcus aureus kann häufig als Ursache eitriger Hautinfektionen bei Rückkehrern aus den Tropen und Subtropen isoliert werden In dieser Übersichtsarbeit wird der aktuelle Wissenstand zu reiseassoziierten, S aureus positiven Hautinfektionen referiert, Wobei neuere Erkenntnisse sowohl zu Pathogenitätsfaktoren als auch zu angeborenen Immunmechanismen besondere Berücksichtigung finden. Neben der Bedeutung einer Methicillinresistenz und des Panton-Valentine Leukozidin bei der Entstehung dieser Infektionen wird die Rolle antimikrobieller Peptide bei deren Abwehr dargestellt. Widersprüchliche Beobachtungen zu einer möglichen Bedeutung internationaler Reise- und Migrationsbewegungen für die weltweite Zunahme von ambulant erworbenen Infektionen mit Methicillin-resistenten S. aureus-Stämmen werden zusammengefasst. Bislang noch ungeklärte Fragestellungen und damit der weitere Forschungsbedarf auf diesem Gebiet werden ebenfalls aufgezeigt.

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  1. Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Philipp Zanger

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  1. Philipp Zanger
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Correspondence to Philipp Zanger.

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Zanger, P. Staphylococcus aureus positive skin infections and international travel. Wien Klin Wochenschr 122 (Suppl 1), 31–33 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-010-1333-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-010-1333-1

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